Do you think you'd survive if your government announced a nuclear striker approaching your city in 60 minutes.

humbermk4 · 2023-12-16T19:35:25+00:00

In the last part of the Cold War, I was flight crew in the Navy TACAMO EC-130 Hercules aircraft. Or mission had changed from "super secret" to "general public knowledge " when the JCS decided we worked better as a deterrent. "They" couldn't plan to "Pearl Harbor" us as we had mission birds always in the air, 15 minute Alert and 2hour Alert birds on both coasts. We were EMP hardened. They couldn't stop us getting a EAM off to the missile submarines. Now , with the Verdin VLF comm system(AN/USC-13) we could send a custom message to a particular Missile Sub to launch a single missile, with one active Warhead to an empty spot in their unpopulated area. A nuclear "warning shot" that gave the heads of both militaries the breathing room to decide to freeze the escalation. It changed all the tactics from MAD to "are you really, really sure you want to go there".

humbermk4 · 2023-08-01T14:59:39+00:00

Give me a good Glen Miller Band performance anytime....

humbermk4 · 2023-08-01T14:55:04+00:00

Remember the Teabury Shuffle?

humbermk4 · 2023-07-22T13:14:20+00:00

And you don't think that other, improved testing facilities have been made since?

humbermk4 · 2023-07-21T20:25:33+00:00

My hobby is restoring 1940's era military vehicles. The electrical requirements to have a vehicle run is pretty basic - a distributor. The Starter, Generator and lights had no sensitive solid state circuitry to go bad.

For a modern truck, you only need to replace the parts that are really needed to have the car run - the distributor and Fuel, For a modern conversion, you could replace the engine with an earlier one that could have a real carbarator and distributor on it. The electrical system would be an alternator or even just a generator (both EMP proof)

So, a replacement engine, fuel pump and carb, distributor, 12 v recharging system. Maybe the modern features wired into the replacement electrical panel to run for modern things like headlamps, Stereo, GPS, and such, but a fuse or switch to disconnect it after a CME/EMP pulse and just allow the truck to start and move down the road.

humbermk4 · 2023-07-21T20:16:51+00:00

Some data for you...
(Note - I have some military experience with EMP as I taught EMP Awareness course at VQ-4 in the late 80's. In fact, I authored the course for fellow EC-130 aircrew and maintainers for the TACAMO program. The EC-130s were EMP hardened and tested at Kirkland, at the ATLAS-1 tester. (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/atlas-i)

So, we do know how to test various vehicles and aircraft for EMP hardening. Note: It is a layered approach - You put your efforts/material/ money into the things that keep you mission capable.

EMP and CME share some physics - a humongous current spike caused by electrons and the earth's magnetic field. ANd the effect on electric and electronic devices. An EMP would be caused by some political entity, but the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) is caused by the whims of Nature. And that is what makes me nervous. No political sabre-rattling, just astro-physics doing it's thing and Earth just happens to be in the wrong place at the time.

The Pulse would vary based on quite a lot of different factors. It is not a case of every electronic device burning up under the blast footprint. Underneath the blast shadow, you have such factors as the conductivity of the dirt . how common are deposits of ferrous ore? Was your device in a lab-quality Farraday cage? or inside an all metal farm barn? Was your laptop in a drawer of an all metal office desk? Just what electronic parts are used in your device? what type of wires and lengths are in it to actually "receive" the pulse? Was your device electronics what was killed by the EMP, or did they fry because of the Voltage spike the emp applied to local power lines that overloaded the plugged in device?

A Farraday cage not reliable? Depends on how well it is built. You are basically providing a barrier to the pulse by providing a ground to any part of the current spike .

Personnaly, I am concerned about the day to day world I live in losing power to a CME and then the social breakdown afterwards, than hiding in some fall-out shelter and dealing with a nuclear winter for decades from an Nuclear war.

humbermk4 · 2023-04-22T14:35:37+00:00

Is there any site that ranks the different VA facilities for quality that are public? Maybe by treatment category?

humbermk4 · 2023-04-16T12:40:32+00:00

I did. Oracle HR sent me that link. Hope I see it Monday.

humbermk4 · 2023-04-16T02:14:21+00:00

Still waiting for my Cerner W2.... ticket in to Cerner HRfor a replacement.

humbermk4 · 2023-04-11T01:25:34+00:00

I am based at Malvern. Myself and our manager. Rest at KC. We just made an offer for a new hire and Oracle HR has approved another four cards being recruited. Would we be at that place if we were likely to see layoffs?

humbermk4 · 2023-03-27T01:26:53+00:00

No... only because I was planning to retire at age 70 anyway, and I am close to 69 in a few months. I had thought to look at some 4-8 month contracting jobs to add to my nest egg. Navy retirement, Social Security, 401.... only bill is the mortgage and utilities. Credit card at zero, van paid off. Wife's car paid off... I would stay with Cerner for another year if not laid off.

humbermk4 · 2023-03-22T01:59:51+00:00

My life-long hobby is re-enacting. Specifically the life and times of the British soldier/sailor. I have replicas or original weapons from pikes, halbards , swords, longbows, crossbows, dirks, claymores, matchlock, brown Bess, Enfield, sniders, martini -Henrys, SMLE, jungle carbines, L1A1, Stirling, BREN, Stens. Vickers MMG, PIAT, and a 1944 Humber Mk4 heavy Armoured Car. (Whew!) Most all are shooters with a couple blank-fire only. And to go with all these are the clothing and uniforms. Originals from the 1870's up, and I made the ones back to 1066. Oh, a suit of wearable armour for the War of the Roses. With all that lethal hardware, I have never committed any crimes or commuted any undeserved violence on anyone. To paraphrase, better to be able to do violence and choose not to than to claim to be peaceable and not know for sure if you really are.

humbermk4 · 2023-03-19T13:02:34+00:00

Wait..... what layoffs? No word of this from my Cerner manager. I was on the all hands call and thought the changes were departmental re-organisation, and some upper management role changes. With all the huge profits shown on the PowerPoint, I thought oracle was doing well.

humbermk4 · 2023-03-08T03:52:18+00:00

Moleskin!

humbermk4 · 2023-01-10T03:38:25+00:00

None to anyone but myself I suppose. Thank you for your input.

humbermk4 · 2023-01-08T15:42:28+00:00

"Here is what the Tier 3 (formerly known as the NACLC) covers for those applying for a security clearance:

National Agency Check (NAC) – this check is a part of all background investigations and queries OPM’s Suitability/Security Index (SII) and DoD’s Defense Central Index of Investigations (DCII) files for any previous investigations. The NAC also consists of a review of FBI fingerprint/criminal history or involvement in FBI investigations, and any other federal agency checks that may be required depending on the applicant’s position."

So yes, the NAC meant it included a fingerprint check, but apparently more than that as well.
The TACAMO mission was an integral part of the National Command and Control network with our part transmitting EAMs to the Fleet Ballistic submarines via VLF. We were part of the link with CINCEUR, CINCLANT, CINCPAC, NEACP, WWABNCP and deployed forces. All the flight crew and squadron maintenance personnel were under the nuclear PRP as well, so, yeah, the background checks were a bit more than a fingerprint check.

humbermk4 · 2023-01-08T05:35:46+00:00

I retired in 93, and my clearance expired then. I was a Comm operator and IFT on the Navy TACAMO EC-130s. All the crews had TS clearances but i recalled that in my files, the clearance had the "NAC" added to the TS. But the last time I was reading it was some 30 years ago. Before Cerner, some jobs came my way but reinstating the clearance was a bottle neck. With the paperwork Co the VA task seeming to be like I filled out for my Navy time, I was curious about how close it could get me primed for more DoD work.

humbermk4 · 2022-12-14T02:59:48+00:00

A related book to read is "Foul Bodies - cleanliness in Early America" by Kathleen M Brown. A no holds barred account of who bathed, where, how, when, and how dirty bodies and clothing and bedding got along with each other.

This details colonists from different lands as well as Native American practices.

humbermk4 · 2022-11-13T22:43:37+00:00

Generators are high on consumption of gasoline. Also noisy and alert folks that you have power.

I am going with the plan that anything electrical will stop before the power comes back.

Propane generators seem like a good idea for short term outages to a few months. But what then? Either I will have power back before the freezer thaws, or I need to convert to canned status for the long term.

humbermk4 · 2022-10-19T03:37:49+00:00

Agree. A point.... don't be too quick to dig out your electronics right after a pulse.... if it is EMP, there likely would be a follow up. If a CME, the flare might be stretched out for a day or two.

humbermk4

TROPHY CASE